


Better Than Revenge

by heartsocold



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst with a Happy Ending, Camille Belcourt Being An Asshole, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Gay Disaster Alec Lightwood, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Quarterback Magnus Bane, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:15:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25546528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartsocold/pseuds/heartsocold
Summary: Alec wasn’t thinking about this. He really wasn’t.But Magnus was giving him these puppy eyes and fuck he looked so cute with the little pout and everything.“If you do this, I promise to bring you chocolates-”“Coffee.” Isabelle coughed.“-Coffee everyday.”And come on. He was only a man. It was not physically possible to say no to Magnus Bane begging and promising him coffee. It wasn’t.“Shit.”“Is that a yes?” Magnus asked with a grin and that smile alone was worth it.“I’m going to regret this but yes, I’ll fake date you.”Or: the one where Alec and Magnus fake date to get revenge on Camille. What could possibly go wrong?
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 48
Kudos: 217





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger Warning: Intentional Outing.  
> Camille publicly outs Alec in the first chapter so please don't read that if it is triggering to you. I'll put a summary at the end so you can skip to that if you want. 
> 
> This is my first fic in years and it's the first time I'm posting on AO3 and writing Malec. The writing on this website is much more advanced than on Wattpad/Tumblr so I wasn't sure I wanted to post here but I figured the best way to improve my skills are to practice so please feel free to leave feedback. I'll even appreciate some constructive criticism. So without further ado, here's my story! Enjoy!

Alec Lightwood is officially fucked. 

He’s a good person. Mostly. He keeps to himself. He doesn’t give a shit about anyone outside of his siblings truthfully but he stays out of people’s way. He avoids confrontation. He doesn’t deserve this. Then again, no one deserves this. 

No one deserves to be outed and yet here he was. He’s still in a bit of a shock, his brain still trying to figure out what just happened.

It was the start of lunch and he promised he would spend the forty-five minutes with his siblings so he was making his way to the tables on the courtyard where he was meant to meet them. 

Of course, because he’s that lucky, he walks up to find Camille Belcourt - head cheerleader and massive bitch - arguing with his sister. 

He’s not sure what started the argument but they’re both yelling, Simon - his sister’s annoying boyfriend - trying fruitlessly to de-escalate the situation while a crowd forms around them. His sister’s face is turning red and there’s a blazing hatred shining in her eyes that lets him know this is far from over.

Now Alec knows his sister is a force to be reckoned with. She may be petite but her 5’5’’ body is filled to the brim with a passion-fueled spirit that makes her unmovable. He’s well aware she can defend herself - after all, he’s seen her knock men twice her size to the ground for groping her - but she’s still his baby sister. So when he sees Camille raise her hand in preparation for what is undoubtedly her signature bitch slap, his big brother instincts kick in and he’s grabbing her wrist and positioning his body in front of Isabelle before his mind can even realize that he’s moved. 

This, of course, makes him the subject of her ire.

“How dare you touch me?” She snaps in her whiny, privileged voice as she tries in vain to tug her wrist out of his grasp.

“How dare you try to touch my sister?” He retaliates, his voice sharp and booming.

At his tone, the crowd that has gathered around them instantly quiets down, everyone eager to witness a confrontation between Alec Lightwood - the school’s official bad boy loner extraordinaire - and their queen bee.  
Camille smiles cruelly and Alec knows she’s about to tear him apart but he’s not sure how. He silently steels himself for what’s about to come and hopes that he has enough self-control to not deck her when his already dwindling tolerance runs low.

“Aw, look at that. The bad boy who hates everyone coming to his baby sister’s rescue. Tell me, is her honor worth invoking my anger?”

He rolls his eyes at her dramatics, letting out a scoff. 

“You do realize we’re in high school right? And that this isn’t some bad mafia movie?”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Oh sweetheart, why does everyone always underestimate me?” She smirks, using the hand he still has a hold of to point a finger into his chest.

He raises an eyebrow, looking down at her. “Maybe because you’re not as scary as you pretend to be?”

He hears people gasping at his response and he rolls his eyes again. He really doesn’t give a shit about the whole high school antics but he can’t walk away. Something about Camille pisses him off and it’d be nice to knock her off her high horse for once. 

She huffs in anger and some part of him thinks it’s time to leave before the situation gets out of hand but he doesn’t listen. Instead, he steps closer to her and continues.

“You do realize that once we graduate, you won’t matter anymore right? This whole queen of the school bullshit won’t mean anything in the real world.”

She glares up at him, her dark eyes screaming with hatred and he knows he’s gotten under her skin.

“Oh? And what about you huh? You think you’re so much better than me right? Than everyone else here? Because you’re oh so mature? Because you don’t care about anyone and anything right? Would you still think like that if everyone knew your stupid little secret?”

His eyes narrow into slits as his heart starts racing. She couldn’t know, could she?

She smirks viciously, her scowl vanishing at his lack of a response. She turns to the crowd of students and announces, “Alec Lightwood here is gay. That’s right. He’s gay.”

Alec drops her hand, everything around his fading to white noise. He can hear his heart beating. He can’t breathe. This isn’t happening. His skin starts to crawl and he feels like he might throw up or probably pass out but then Izzy’s hands are on him and her voice is in his ear telling him to breathe in for one, two, three and out for one, two, three and he’s trying but his brain won’t shut up because how does she know? How could she know? Now everyone knows and he can’t do this but then Jace is there and his body is shielding Alec from everyone’s eyes and Izzy is still holding him and Jace is talking now.

“Bullshit,” He claims. “How would you of all people possibly know that Camille?”

And he’s right. Camille can’t know. She doesn’t. Jace is deflecting or denying or invalidating her words. Alec isn’t sure what the term is right now but he can breathe again because Jace just showed that she doesn’t have any proof. 

His reaction would be that proof so he needs to get it together and act like his world didn’t just flip on its axis. 

He takes a deep breath and stands a little straighter, his shoulders pulled back and his chest pushed forward. 

The voice in his head dies down and his eyes land on Magnus Bane’s black-rimmed ones in the crown.

Magnus Bane who is openly bisexual.

Magnus Bane who is dating Camille.

He looks away, not quite ready to decipher the look Magnus is shooting him. Not sure he wants to know what Magnus is trying to say.

He doesn’t need solidarity right now. He needs to lie. 

Camille turns back to Jace. 

“I’m so glad you asked that question.You didn’t think I’d just make assumptions, did you? Of course not. Raj told me.”

And just like that Alec’s world is imploding again and the noose is back around his neck because she definitely knows.  
“And before you ask,” She continues on ruthlessly. “Raj knows because he slept with Alec.”

“Oh yeah?” Jace is quick to follow up. “And why would Raj tell you that?”

“Simple. Raj and I are currently in an entanglement and it slipped out accidentally one night. Isn’t that right babe?” She turns to Raj who nods in agreement.

Alec finally understands what people mean when they say they’ve had an out-of-body experience.

He’s standing there. He’s hearing the words. He’s seeing the actions and yet, he feels like he’s miles away. He feels as if he’s watching this happen to a stranger and not to him. Because that’s the thing, it can’t be happening to him. It simply can’t.

He’s brought back to reality when Magnus steps forward, his brown eyes hard.

“So not only did you decide to try to out someone but you decided to do it using information you obtained by cheating on me, which may or may not be true? I can’t believe you could be so, so despicable. Just so we’re clear, you and I are over. For good.”

Camille sighs in exasperation, as if she’s tired of the conversation. 

“Oh come on Magnus. You and I both know that we’re only together to maintain the status quo. I’m the head cheerleader and you’re the star quarterback. We’re high school royalty. It doesn’t matter what we do, we’re meant to be together which is why we always get back together. I mean how many times have we called it quits already?” She pouts as she pinches Magnus’ chin, her head tilted to the side in mock sympathy. 

“And as for that last part, I already had Raj confirm that it’s true, didn’t I?”

Magnus steps away from her, turning to glare at his teammate. “Oh right, I forgot that Raj was incapable of lying.”

Alec recognizes what Magnus is doing. He’s giving him a way out. All he has to say is that him and Raj never happened. 

But maybe he’s tired. Maybe he doesn’t want it. He knows people are going to talk after this. His every action is going to be dissected. Eyes are always going to be on him. Whispers would always follow him around. It’s the way the teenage gossip mill worked.  
Maybe it was time to own his truth. His siblings - the only people he actually gave a shit about - already knew. They supported him. They loved him. So fuck everyone else. It didn’t matter what they thought. He would be okay.

“It’s true.” He almost didn’t recognize his own voice. Standing to his full height, he spoke a little louder. “I’m gay and if anyone has a problem with that, they can kiss my ass.”

“Or my fist.” Jace added on.

“And my boot.” Izzy injected, both of them flanking him and squeezing his shoulders.

He sent them both a grateful smile, nodded his head at Camille who was now gaping at him since this obviously didn’t go the way she had intended and turned on his heels.

He needed to find a place where he could sit quietly and think.

He slipped into an empty classroom but before he could even take a seat, the door flew open behind him and Magnus Bane walked in.

“Alexander, I understand that you may want to be alone right now but can I speak to you for a little bit?”

He looked so sincere that Alec had no choice but to agree because how could he say no when Magnus was looking at him like that?

“Uh, sure.”

Magnus smiled at him. “Thank you.”

He sat on the teacher’s desk while Magnus sat on the table opposite him.

“What did you want to talk about?” Alec questioned when he couldn’t take the silence anymore.

“Right, well, first of all I’m sorry that happened to you. You didn’t deserve to be outed like that and I truly can’t understand how Camille could be so vile to do that. Nonetheless, I am proud of you for owning it the way you did. That took a lot of courage. I know that you might be feeling a lot of things right now but if you ever want to talk about it or anything, I’m here for you.”

“Uh, thank you.” Alec responded. He knew it was anywhere close to eloquent but he didn’t know what else to say. This was a lot.

He and Magnus had never been friends. 

He was on the team with Jace and he was friends with Izzy and Clary - Jace’s girlfriend - so he and Alec knew each other but they never actually spoke outside of pleasantries.

Alec wasn’t sure if it was because Magnus was out or because he was dating Camille or because he was easily the most beautiful guy Alec had ever seen. Maybe it was a combination of all three.

Yet, sitting in the classroom in silence with him after everything that had happened somehow wasn’t uncomfortable.

No one had said anything since Alec had thanked him but neither one of them made a move to leave and somehow, the company felt nice.

Not that Alec would ever say that out loud.

And as per the course of Alec’s life, that was the moment that his siblings and their other halves burst into the room, ready to disrupt the peace.

“Oh good, you’re both here.” Clary grinned, clapping her hands together.

He and Magnus shared a glance before they turned to their friends warily.

“We came up with a plan to exact revenge on the she-devil.” Simon informed eagerly.

“Oh God, I don’t want to hear it.” Alec groaned and Magnus laughed.

“On the contrary, I’m intrigued. Go on.” He goaded.

Isabelle beamed before she launched into an explanation. 

“You two should fake date! I mean think about it, she just outed Alec and admitted to cheating on Magnus. What better way to piss her off than make her feel like she pushed you two together?”

“You have got to be kidding me.” Alec deadpanned, running a hand over his face.

“”Come on Alec,” Jace started. “You know it’d trip her off. She tried to out you as a way to make you feel like an outcast or something right? So what better way to take revenge than you stealing her boyfriend instead?”

“That actually would piss her off.” Magnus agreed and everyone pointed to him in excitement.

“You can’t actually be agreeing with them.” 

“They do make good points. Besides, it would be fun to play with her like this. I mean think about it. Wouldn’t it be great to get under her skin?”

Alec wasn’t thinking about this. He really wasn’t.

But Magnus was giving him these puppy eyes and fuck he looked so cute with the little pout and everything. 

“If you do this, I promise to bring you chocolates-” 

“Coffee.” Isabelle coughed.

“-Coffee everyday.” 

And come on. He was only a man. It was not physically possible to say no to Magnus Bane begging and promising him coffee. It wasn’t.

“Shit.” 

“Is that a yes?” Magnus asked with a grin and that smile alone was worth it. 

“I’m going to regret this but yes, I’ll fake date you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've made it this far, THANK YOU!
> 
> Like I said, I know it isn't exactly up to the standard of the other fics here but thank you so much for reading. Please leave me feedback <3
> 
> My twitter is @ heartsocold
> 
> For those of you that didn't read it:  
> Basically, Alec stepped into an argument between Isabelle and Camille before it turned physical which Camille didn't like. In turn, she outed Alec in front of the entire school. She got this information from Raj, who Alec slept with. Camille admitted to sleeping with Raj even though she's dating Magnus. She claimed that since she's the head cheerleader and Magnus is the quarterback, they're meant to be together because of the status quo so she isn't too worried. Magnus dumped her obviously. Then he and Alec talk to each other and decided to fake date as a way to get revenge because obviously them dating would piss her off.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some conversation and joking around. Also Alec is a mess.

“So…” Magnus breaks the silence tentatively.

They had decided to go back to Alec’s house since it would be empty, except for his siblings who’d give them space to figure everything out. 

Alec’s parents were divorced and while his father had gotten full custody of his eight year old brother Max and then moved them both to LA because he had gotten a promotion, Alec, Izzy and Jace - who was adopted - opted to stay with their mother in New York. This was their home and they weren’t leaving anytime in the foreseeable future. She had quit her job at the law firm both she and her husband used to work for. Maryse had come from money and in addition to her income, she and her children had more than enough money to live off so she had decided to open her own bookstore where she now spent most of her time.

They’re sitting in the living room, on both sides of the three-seater couch that’s opposite the television, which is off.

Alec raises an eyebrow, turning to look at Magnus as he locks his phone and drops it onto his lap. “So?” He prompts.

“Fake dating.” Magnus enunciates. “How do we do that?”

“You’re asking me?” Alec asks, flabbergasted. 

“Well, yes. You are the second member of this relationship, are you not?” Magnus shoots back, his tone of voice suggesting that Alec’s response was ridiculous.

“Well, yeah but I just figured you’d lead the way considering you’re the one who was actually in, you know, an actual relationship before.” Alec explains, watching the look slip from Magnus’ face only to be replaced by disbelief. 

“Wait, what does that even mean?” 

Was Magnus really going to make him say it? As if this wasn’t already embarrassing enough. Seriously, how on earth did he manage to get himself into this?

“Exactly what I said. You should take the reins on this whole thing because you have actual experience as a boyfriend. I hooked up with a guy one time.” Alec fumbles, his face turning pink as his hands move back and forth through the air as though trying to grab at the words.

He was mortified and he refused to make eye contact but in that moment Magnus couldn’t help but think that he looked adorable. Which only added to his confusion, obviously.

“Are you seriously trying to tell me that you’ve never dated anyone? Because I find that hard to believe, pretty boy.” Magnus drawls even though he’s genuinely curious. 

It wasn’t possible. He and Alec had been in the same circles for a while now and he really had never seen Alec with anyone but he always assumed the stoic Adonis was simply a private person. It was downright atrocious that people weren’t tripping over their feet to score a date with him. 

Alec opens and closes his mouth a few times, Magnus’ words rendering him speechless because there’s no way this God-like man is calling him pretty. Not him.

Magnus is always dressed to impress, his hair perfectly styled and his makeup flawless. There’s a grace to his movements that command attention. Magnus is ethereal and Alec, well he’s Alec.

He dresses in all black and his idea of accessories is wearing his leather jacket over his old hoodies. He’s awkward and a bit of a social recluse honestly. There’s no way Magnus thinks he’s pretty. But then it hits him. 

Of course he doesn’t. ‘Pretty boy’ is just a term. It’s the same way Magnus calls everyone ‘darling.’ It doesn’t mean anything. Magnus is a friendly person and sometimes it comes across as flirty. Alec is just reading into it too much obviously.

And, he’s been quiet for a while. He should definitely say something. 

“Right, well, yeah, um.”

Anything but that. Seriously, can he be anymore embarrassing?

“How are we doing this?” He blurts out, eyes wide. 

Maybe if he was lucky, the floor would open up and swallow him whole.

“I mean, like, I really don’t know how to, you know, date someone. And I’m not exactly a people person, which I think you know. Izzy says my social skills are abysmal. So, how, I mean-”

He’s rambling. Oh God, he’s nervous and he’s overthinking and now he’s rambling and he can’t shut up. 

Magnus, thankfully, takes pity on him and interrupts his spiel. He takes hold of Alec’s hands which are yet again flailing through the air and brings them down onto the couch cushion between them.

“Alexander, breathe.” He instructs gently with a soft smile, his face slack in amusement.

“Breathe. Yeah. Right.” Alec takes a deep breath, taking a second to gather his thoughts. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m nervous about, you know. I mean, dating is one thing but dating as a showcase for everyone to see is a bit...intimidating.”

He’s not sure what he’s trying to articulate but he must have gotten his point across because Magnus is nodding in understanding, his expression turning solemn.

“Alexander, I didn’t mean to pressure you into doing this. If you’re uncomfortable, we don’t have to do it.”

And Alec knows Magnus is giving him yet another way out. He doesn’t have to do it and Magnus won’t be angry with him. He’d understand.

But here’s the thing. Alec has always thought Magnus was gorgeous. Maybe if he had been out before, he would’ve made a move. Maybe if he had been more confident, he would’ve asked him out.

But he didn’t. And now Magnus had spent the last two years in an on-again, off-again relationship with Camille, who had cheated on him.

In other words, now was not the time to start crushing on Magnus. But fuck, he made it so hard not to.

So maybe Alec was a bit of a masochist, minus the sex part. Maybe he was a fool. Whatever it was, he’d get to spend more time with Magnus, so why not?

“No. I want to do it. She doesn’t get to hurt you like that and get away with it.” He declares and Magnus’ eyes - which had flecks of gold in them holy shit - softened. At that look, Alec’s heart skipped a beat and he knew - God, he knew - he was setting himself up for heartbreak but it was fine. It’d be fine.

“O-okay. Thank you.” Magnus’ voice hitched a little and Alec sends him a small smile because he’s staring at Alec with a look that he can’t decipher but it’s making Alec breathless and he doesn’t quite know what to do with that. The moment feels more important than it should and Alec thinks to himself that of course he’d be the guy to catch feelings for the first hot guy that paid him heed. 

They stare at each other for a moment more, neither quite ready to look away but it’s Magnus who breaks it first. 

“Right, well.” He clears his throat. “I don’t want to take advantage of you or make you uncomfortable but we also need to make it believable so I think we should establish boundaries. So hand holding?” He looks to Alec in question, who in turn nods in agreement, gesturing for him to continue.

“Hugs? Kisses? On cheeks, or-”

Magnus is obviously thinking hard to cover all his bases but Alec already knows he won’t mind anything. Not with Magnus. 

“Magnus. How about we just do what feels right and if I’m uncomfortable I’ll tell you and vice versa?”

“What? Are you sure?”

“I am. I trust you. I don’t know why, but I do.”

Magnus thinks for a moment and then he’s nodding. “Okay. That sounds reasonable but promise me that you’ll tell me if you’re uncomfortable with anything. I don’t care what it is.”

Alec rolls his eyes playfully because Magnus is looking at him so seriously, it’s a bit unsettling. 

“I promise. Now let’s go get something to eat. I'm starving. I think there’s some stuff in the pantry that I can-”

Magnus scoffs, effectively cutting him off and Alec jerks back a little, taken aback. “What?”

“Alexander, you and I both know that you can’t cook to save your life. You’re almost as bad as Isabelle.”

Alec huffs, his jaw dropping and his right hand flying to his chest in offense.

“That’s not true! Izzy burns rice Magnus. Rice!” 

Magnus knocks Alec's hand away from his chest, standing as he pulls his phone out of his back pocket.

“It is true and I’d rather not get food poisoning when tomorrow’s Saturday and we don’t have school so I’m ordering pizza. What do you want? Meat lovers?” He asks nonchalantly, raising an eyebrow in question - or at least trying to but since he can’t, both eyebrows go towards his hairline. Unfortunately, the spark in his eye lets Alec know exactly what he’s trying to do. 

He throws a square cushion at him in retaliation, Magnus bracing from the incoming object as his laughter sends a rush of warmth into Alec’s chest. 

“I cannot believe you just made a fucking meat joke.” Alec groans, using his hands to cover his pink face but then he sees Magnus about to say something else so he sticks out a hand, pointing his index finger at him in warning. 

“Shut up! Don’t say it!”

Magnus holds his hands up in acquiescence and Alec tries to look stern but he can’t stop his lip from twitching and soon they’re both laughing so hard there’s tears coming out their eyes and Alec thinks if this is what it’d be like to fake date Magnus, it really wouldn’t be so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to make this longer but it felt like a good place to end it. I hope y'all enjoyed it :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and Alec go on their first date.

In the end, they order four pizzas.

Pepperoni for Alec, Hawaiian for Magnus (who clearly believes in pineapples on pizza and Alec can’t comprehend why), BBQ chicken for Jace and Izzy and a Veggie pizza for Clary who’s on a no-meat diet this week and has decided to rope Simon into it. It’s honestly funny how longingly Simon stares at everyone else’s pizza.

Alec knows since there’s undoubtedly going to be leftovers, someone - Jace - will end up smuggling a slice with meat to Simon because even though he pretends to hate him, they most definitely have a bromance. It’s a weird dynamic but Simon is probably Jace’s closest friend outside of his siblings, not that he’d ever admit that out loud or to himself.

Alec, on the other hand, just barely tolerates him. Simon annoys him to no end because the kid is always rambling about some stupid movie or comic that no one cares about and he never knows when to shut up nor does he understand boundaries and how not to overstep them which is why Alec is most definitely seconds away from murdering him.

“I mean, I’m just saying. If you guys are meant to be a convincing couple, you should like practice or something. That way you know how to move, you know. Like right now, for example, you’re literally on opposite sides of the couch. Just two bros chilling-”

“Stop talking. Just - stop,” Alec commands as Simon’s voice grates against his eardrums. 

Jace is laughing - the fucker - and Magnus is hiding a smile at Simon’s deer-in-headlights look while Alec continues to glare at him. Clary has her lips pressed together, hiding behind Jace’s shoulder as she tries gallantly to not laugh at her best friend. Her giggles breakthrough eventually though because Alec’s eyes promise murder and Simon just might pee himself, if the way he’s paling is anything to go by.

Alec thinks he’s over dramatic since he won’t  _ actually  _ hit him. He wants to, really badly, but he has self control, thank you very much. 

Izzy kisses Simon’s cheek, grinning mischievously at Magnus and Alec and in that instant he’s never hated his sister more. She’s a traitor.

“Oh come on Alec, he has a point. You can’t get flustered if Magnus touches you in public, you really have to sell it. Look at me and Simon, we’re basically sharing the same seat. Hell, Clary’s literally on Jace’s lap and let’s face it, you’re a whore for affection even if you won’t admit it. If you two were really dating, you’d one hundred percent be cuddling each other right now.”

Alec makes a noise of protest in the back of his throat, affronted by her remarks. He opens his mouth to argue but he decides against it once he realizes he doesn’t actually have an argument since she’s right, as usual. 

Magnus catches on to this and grins, his eyes alight with mirth.

“Well then Alexander, do you prefer to be the big spoon or the littles spoon? Or does it depend?”

Alec grumbles something indecipherable under his breath. He reaches out quickly before he can change his mind, grabbing Magnus and pulling him into his side. Magnus relaxes into his hold, tucking his head into Alec’s shoulder while his hand rests on Alec’s leg, his fingers making small circles that Alec feels through the fabric. Alec then slings an arm around Magnus, turning to glare at his siblings - yet again - as they allow his actions to send them into hysterics.

“Happy now?” He bites out roughly and Magnus has to bite his lip to not laugh. 

“Very,” Isabelle chimes in satisfaction. 

Clary’s the only one Alec likes right now, he decides. She’s not as insufferable as the rest of them.

But of course, since the universe was trying to test Alec today, she speaks up and Alec comes to the conclusion that he hates them all.

“You two should go on a date tomorrow you have that if anyone asks,” She suggests gleefully, looking too proud of herself for Alec’s liking.

“No one’s going to ask,” Alec grits out. Why the fuck would someone ask?

“She’s right though, they could,” Magnus insists. “We should definitely go on a date. Use it to get our story straight and use it to get to know each other. You know, the usual.”

Alec closes his eyes. Fuck Magnus Bane and his ability to render him helpless.

“Fine.”

They all cheer and start planning the perfect date, ideas and suggestions being thrown out at record speed. Alec wonders if they had planned to attack him like this from the start but try as he might, he can’t be mad at them because it’s a day he gets to spend with Magnus.

-

They decide on going for a late lunch at 4 p.m. followed by a walk through Central Park.

They eat as a classic diner, Alec’s favorite being the burger and fries combo while Magnus argues that their Alfredo Fettuccine is to die for. 

It goes well, friendly conversation keeping the awkward silence away as they eat and Alec finds that it’s nice to talk to Magnus like this, without their group of friends around.

It’s a lot easier now that they’ve developed a dynamic of sorts and he isn’t nervous anymore.

Alec discovers that Magnus has a really subtle way of casually touching him - a hand on his back, their shoulders pressed together, a simple nudge every so often. They agree that it’ll do wonders at convincing everyone they’re together since Alec doesn’t like anyone invading his personal space and yet, Magnus’ hands are always on him but not in a way that’s irritating.

Alec finds that he actually enjoys the warmth of Magnus’ skin on his, even if it’s through layers of cloth.

They’re strolling through Central Park now, trying to practice being ‘romantic.’

They’re holding hands as Magnus tells him about his other friends.

“Catarina and Ragnor are only one year older than me but they like to think they’re mature beyond their years. They both go to the University of Tampa so they fly home every so often and I see them then but we all talk at least once every week on a group Skype call. Catarina’s studying to be a nurse so she can ‘patch me up and make money doing it’ while Ragnor is studying to be a history professor,” Magnus explains, his voice fond even as he mocks Catarina. “Raphael, on the other hand, is a year younger than I am but he goes to the Catholic school on the other side of Brooklyn. You should meet them sometime, Cat and Ragnor would love you.”

“And Raphael?” Alec raises an eyebrow.

“Raphael hates everyone, but then again, so do you. Maybe you can bond over that,” Magnus muses and Alec scoffs.

“I do not. I’ll have you know, I hate  _ most  _ people. Not everyone. There’s a difference.”

“Of course, my apologies,” Magnus humours and they both laugh. Magnus stops, gesturing to a clear spot in the shade of a tree that was also close to the water. 

“Let’s sit.”

Alec allows him to lead the way but he sits first with his back against the tree so that he’s facing the water. Magnus sits next to him, slotting easily into his side as though he’s done so a million times before, their joined hands resting on Alec’s lap. 

“For the record, you’re not as bad at this dating thing as you think you are, you’re actually quite the gentleman.”

Alec blushes but he’s not sure how to respond to that. Magnus nudges him.

“What you are bad at though, is taking compliments.”

“They make me uncomfortable okay? I’m not used to them.” Alec confesses.

“Oh darling, just for that I’m going to be sure to compliment you every morning with your coffee.”

“Oh my God, please don’t.”

“It’ll be like a Taylor Swift song,” Magnus continues teasing.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t try to deny it. I heard you humming her song earlier on,” He jests.

“She makes good music okay?” Alec defends himself. “Don’t tell Izzy though, I’ll never hear the end of it because I refused to listen to her songs when she told me that I’d like them.”

“Your secret’s safe with me.”

Magnus mimes zipping his lips and then throws away the imaginary key, turning back in time to see Alec narrow his eyes at him suspiciously.

“What?”

“I was humming ‘august’ earlier on. That song literally just came out and it sure as hell isn’t mainstream yet.”

Magnus smiles sheepishly. “Like you said, she makes good music. I’m obsessed with ‘folklore’ and I kind of want to do an entire cottage core aesthetic photoshoot now.”

Alec laughs freely.

“You know, I own a camera and I’m pretty decent at photography.”

Magnus gasps dramatically, “Alexander, are you offering your services?”

“I mean, what kind of pretend boyfriend would I be if I didn’t?” Alec shrugs, squinting one eye playfully as he speaks in a serious tone and Magnus’ face lights up.

“Okay but I have to ask, what’s your favorite song on the album?”

“That’s a hard question and it took me forever to decide but probably ‘this is me trying.’ It just kind of resonates within me, I guess?”

Magnus nods, his face pensive. When he speaks, the lightness of his tone is gone.

“I think ‘mirrorball’ is mine.”

They take a few moments to study each other, knowing that there’s a reason those songs are the ones that speak the most to them but they silently agree not to address it. Magnus is the one to shatter the heaviness of the moment by making yet another joke.

“A man willing to talk Taylor Swift with me, indulge my fantasies and be my very own photographer? Keep it up and I just might marry you for real, Alexander.”

Alec breathes a laugh. He can’t remember the last time he’s laughed this much in one day.

“I can’t believe it took us this long to realize how good we get along,” He muses, accidentally thinking out loud and Magnus agrees.

“The world wasn’t ready for the havoc we surely would’ve wreaked. We only actually spoke, like for real, yesterday and we’ve already concocted a master scheme.”

“You’re so dramatic,” Alec rolls his eyes, not quite able to stop his lips from twitching.

“See? You already know me so well,” Magnus croons and Alec shoves him.

-

“So, how was your day?” Izzy asks innocently later that night when Alec returns home. Jace looks up from his phone to hear his answer.

“It was actually really good. I had fun,” Alec admits as he smiles softly. 

Izzy and Jace share a look and she turns back to her brother, “What did you guys do?”

“We had something to eat at the diner and then we went to Central Park, as planned,” Alec deadpans.

“But what did you guys do?” Jace stresses on the word ‘do’ and wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

“We talked,” Alec responds dryly. 

“Dude, it’s 10 pm. Are you telling me you guys talked for what? Six hours?”

“Huh,” Alec gets out as he checks the time. “Guess so. I don’t know. We spent a lot of time in the park just talking about whatever. It was nice and then I walked him home and yeah.”

“Wait,” Izzy yelps. “I know that look. Did you kiss him?”

“No Isabelle, I did not kiss him,” Alec says in exasperation. “I’m tired and I need a shower so goodnight.”

He doesn’t give them time to argue as he swiftly exits the room, his finger coming up to touch his lip as he recalls dropping Magnus home.

_ “Well, this is me,” Magnus announces as they stop outside his house. _

_ “Thank you,” Alec says, tugging on Magnus’ hand that he’s still holding. “I had a lot of fun today and it was really nice to talk to you like that.” He confesses, staring at Magnus intensely. _

_ “Magnus smiles in return, his eyes shining in the moonlight. _

_ “I had a wonderful time as well, Alexander. I’m glad we decided to do this.” _

_ “Yeah,” Alec whispers as they maintain eye contact. _

_ You know, this is usually the part of a date where we would kiss,” Magnus reveals in the same quiet voice, his eyes glancing at Alec’s lips. _

_ Alec returns the gesture, his eyes darting all over Magnus’ face as he notes the shadows and contours present. _

_ “Maybe we should? For authenticity? For practice?” Alec broaches. _

_ “It won’t mean anything, will it? I don’t want anything to change,” Magnus admits and Alec steps closer. _

_ “It won’t. It’ll just be so that our first kiss isn’t awkward,” Alec reassures. _

_ Magnus nods, his hand reaching out to rest on Alec’s waist. Alec uses the hand not intertwined with Magnus’ to cradle his face. He moves closer until they’re breathing the same air but he stops, allowing Magnus time to change his mind. He doesn’t. _

_ Instead, Magnus surges forward and captures Alec’s lips in his and suddenly, they’re kissing. _

_ And maybe it was cliche, but Alec swears he feels sparks fly. It’s unlike anything he’s ever felt before, with anyone. It was magical.  _

_ “Goodnight Alexander,” Magnus murmurs against his lips and then he’s gone. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Camille has something to say about them 'dating.'

“Good morning, Sunshine,” Magnus greets Alec cheerily.

They had decided it would be better to arrive at school together so Magnus had waited for Alec and his siblings at a coffee shop that was conveniently located in the middle of both their houses and their destination. 

“Morning,” Alec grumbles, his voice gruff. He’s wearing his famous all-black ensemble as usual only this time, there’s a dark burgundy t-shirt peeking out from under his leather jacket which compliments Magnus’ designer shirt of the same color along with his black leather pants. It’s a pairing that suits both their styles and Magnus had spent the entirety of yesterday in Alec’s closet trying to coordinate their outfits. 

While Magnus’ hair is perfectly styled in a mohawk and his eyes are lined with black and gold eyeliner, Alec’s hair looks like it hasn’t been touched since he rolled out of bed and his eyes are lined with bags. Magnus’ lips twitch. They really are an odd pair.

“Excuse him,” Isabelle intervenes as she shoots Magnus a bright smile and nudges her brother.

“What?” Alec snaps, his voice somewhere between a groan and a whine.

“Not a morning person, I presume?” Magnus goads and Jace nods.

“He’s such a grouch.” 

“Shut the fuck up, Jace,” Alec glares and Magnus laughs because Alec looks more like a sleepy baby than the intimidating man he was trying for. At the sound of Magnus’ laughter, he rolls his eyes and moves away from them muttering something about coffee which causes Magnus to perk up as he grabs the steaming take-away cup from the table he was occupying. He thrusts it into Alec‘s hand.

“Coffee, as per our deal. Don’t worry, I made sure to get it just as black as your soul,” He chides, his eyes sparkling as he recalled Alec telling him that was his siblings’ go-to line when Alec mentions coffee.

Alec scoffs and takes a sip, pleasantly surprised as the taste of vanilla engulfs him. He had confided in Magnus during their ‘date’ that he actually did like French Vanilla Lattes but since the insufferable imps that he called siblings enjoyed teasing him about everything under the sun, he always pretended to buy black coffee since according to Izzy, it matched his aesthetic. Of course, that only worked because he was the only one of the trio that actually bought coffee on a morning. Izzy only drank it when she needed to stay up to study and Jace hated it, preferring energy drinks. 

He looks at Magnus over the rim of his cup and Magnus sends him a playful wink.

They continue their trek to school, Alec slowly waking up as he drains the contents of his cup. He tossess it into a bin as they approach the entrance and Magnus slips his hand into Alec’s.

“Ready to wreak some havoc?”

“You say that like we’re about to rob a bank,” Alec notes.

“Oh sweetheart, this is high school. We’re fresh meat about to walk into the lion’s den.”

“Great.”

Alec looks warily at the school and Magnus pulls them both to a halt, gesturing for Jace and Izzy to go on without them. He comes to stand in front of Alec, keeping his voice low when he speaks.

“Alexander, are you sure-”

“Hey,” Alec gently cuts him off. “I told you, we’re doing this.”

Magnus studies his face then nods, falling back into his spot beside Alec as they resume walking.

“Besides,” Alec continues, a smirk tugging on his lips. “You already bought me coffee. It’s a sealed deal.”

Magnus’ responding laugh is loud and unexpected, resonating throughout the courtyard thus causing a few heads to turn in their direction. Of course, once people realize that their star quarterback who broke up with the head cheerleader on Friday is holding hands with the notorious loner and they’re laughing - Alec Lightwood does not smile, much less laugh - the whispers start.

Magnus turns to Alec, a twinkle in his eye.

“Well, there’s certainly no going back now, is there?”

Alec kisses his cheek and seconds later, the sound of text notifications start going off. 

-

They manage to make it through two classes before Camille makes an appearance. 

It’s their free period - well study period technically - so he and Magnus decided to go to the library to work on their calculus assignment. 

Magnus wanted to stop at his locker first because he needed his calculator only to find Camille waiting for him there. She’s leaning against the row of lockers with one foot propped up against it, picking her nails nonchalantly like the drama queen she is. 

Alec briefly wonders if she really does think her life is a teen movie.

“Camille,” Magnus acknowledges as he stops with Alec right behind him. He can feel Alec’s body heat along his back and he’s thankful that he has that to ground him. Camille has a way of stripping him apart and leaving him vulnerable.

“Magus, darling,” She pushes off the lockers, coming closer to Magnus but not close enough that she’s touching him.

Alec glowers at her, hating the sickly sweet sound of her tone that doesn’t quite match the darkness of her beady eyes. 

“What’s this I’m hearing about you and Lightwood dating?” She pouts, acting as though Alec isn’t standing right there.

“Well, after your stunt on Friday, we got to talking. It was actually quite pleasant and we ended up sending the entire weekend together. We realized that there was an undeniable spark between us, not to mention, our natural chemistry and since Alec’s no longer in the closet, thanks to you, we decided to start dating. I mean, it’s not like I was in a loving relationship or anything.”

Magnus’ voice is strong even though he feels as though she can see right through him. Camille narrows her eyes at his story, turning her focus to Alec.

“Chemistry,” She repeats slowly then lets out a huff of air through her nose that seems like an aborted laugh. 

“Oh darling, you have to know that you’re a rebound. There’s no one that Magnus loves more than me. Tell me, how much of himself has he given to you?”

Her words are viscous. Magnus tenses up entirely and Alec hates her more than he thought he was capable of. He knows there’s a story there that he’s not privy to. He also knows she wants a reaction but he sure as hell isn’t about to give her one.

“We’ve been together for two days, Camille,” He raises his eyebrows at her as if she’s a child, his voice monotonous as he speaks. She takes a deep breath then grins and Alec knows for a fact he’s gotten under her skin by not playing into her hand.

“Oh, of course, my bad. I’ll let you two have your fun. It’s only a matter of time before you break up anyways. I wonder if it’ll be because you realize he’s an unlovable mess or if he’ll decide that he can’t be with a man who’s a coward? Any bets, boys? Either way, Magnus, you and I both know this ends with you crawling back to me. Ta-ta,” She blows them both a kiss as she struts away and Alec clenches and unclenches his fists.

“What the hell did you ever see in her?” He voices, his mind struggling to comprehend what someone like Magnus could ever see in such a vile excuse of a woman.

“Magnus?” 

He glances at Magnus only to see him standing still, staring unmovingly at the spot previously occupied by Camille. 

Alec frowns, inserting himself into Magnus’ line of vision. He hesitantly reaches out, placing a hand on Magnus shoulder, the other on his waist as he pulls him closer.

“Hey,” He murmurs softly when Magnus jerks and his eyes finally focus on Alec. One arm rests on Alec’s which is wrapped around his waist, the other coming up to hold onto his bag strap. 

“You know that she’s wrong right?” Alec asks, his voice firm and leaving no room for argument. 

_ Of course Alec thinks so _ , Magnus muses to himself.  _ This entire relationship is a farce. How can they break up when they were never even together?  _

Magnus dismisses his thoughts and beams at Alec, putting on his game face.

He pats Alec’s arms and removes himself from Alec’s grip, opening his locker and retrieving his calculator as he speaks. 

“Of course I do, Alexander. Shall we?” He gestures towards the direction of the library and starts moving.

Alec knows a fake smile when he sees one (he’s learnt to see through Izzy’s) and he also knows the deflection tactic (Jace does not do well with feelings) but he and Magnus have only been fake dating for a few days. They’re friends now, yes, but they’re not exactly close. So even though Alec’s instincts are to push, he smiles back and Magnus and allows him to deflect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled to write this chapter so it's a bit shorter than I'd like. I'm also sorry about the wait but I planned out the remaining chapters and I changed it from 10 to 8 so we're halfway there! 
> 
> Which means the angst is coming (Finally).
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just Alec and Magnus growing closer over the next few weeks in 4121 words.

Movie nights had become a regular occurrence at the Lightwood household. It took place once a week, either on a Friday or a Saturday night. Maryse would make herself scarce and everyone would gather round to watch movies, play games, talk shit and eat junk food. It was easily one of Alec’s favourite activities, even more so now that Magnus had started attending. 

“So what are we watching tonight?” Alec asks, sprawling out onto the couch with a bowl of popcorn on his chest, his head in Magnus’ lap who immediately threads his fingers through his ebony strands of hair.

“Titanic!” Clary yells out before anyone can say anything else.

“Absolutely not!” Jace objects, kissing her pout away. Unfortunately, being Jace and Clary, the chaste kiss turns into a makeout and Alec makes a noise of disgust when he sees Jace’s hand drifting towards Clary’s ass. Naturally, he throws a handful of popcorn at them, causing them to break apart. He does not need to see that, thank you very much.

“You’re not being helpful,” He points out in reply to their indignant cries, feeling absolutely no remorse. They were free to leave the room and do that where he couldn’t see. 

“Star Wars,” Simon offers and everyone groans in response.

“I vote Passengers,” Magnus says and they turn to him in confusion.

“You’ve never heard about Passengers? None of you? Isabelle?” He directs his gaze to her, slightly surprised when she shakes her head at him.

“What’s it about?”

“It’s, a group of people are placed on a vessel and placed into cryo sleep so that they can travel to another planet which is hundreds of years away but something goes wrong and the protagonist wakes up too early and by the time anyone can even be notified that something went wrong, he would be dead. He eventually grows desperate and wakes up this woman and then...look it’s really good and I am not about to sell out the entire show. We’re watching that.”

“It doesn sound good,” Izzy agrees, searching it up on Netflix and clicking play. 

Halfway through, Magnus switches places so that he’s tucked in between Alec and the back of the couch, his arm draped across Alec’s waist, Alec’s hand resting on his.

“Sci-fi, huh?” Alec’s voice pierces the silence that’s descended upon them but it’s quiet enough so that no one else can hear them.

“Hmm?” Magnus hums, turning his gaze to Alec.

“I never pegged you as the sci-fi type.”

“Oh? And what did you peg me as exactly?”

“Action. Like the whole spy thing, 007 type shows I guess. The FBI, CIA, major shootouts, conspiracy theories, president assassination. You get the point.”

Magnus laughs softly in amusement. “I do enjoy those shows so you aren’t entirely off base but sci-fi has my heart. What about you?”

Alec squints at him playfully, turning his body so that his back is to the television and he’s facing Magnus entirely, their faces merely inches away from each other. Magnus momentarily wonders how many different shades of green and brown are in Alec’s eyes. Alec’s voice brings him back.

“What do you think? Take a guess.”

He presses his lips together as he thinks and there’s the sparkle in his eyes that Alec has come to love when he speaks.

“You’re a whore for the Fast and Furious type movies aren’t you? I bet the cars are your kryptonite.”

Alec grins, shaking his head.

“I’m actually not a big fan of movies. I like documentaries though, they’re interesting. All those random facts about everything.”

Magnus is taken aback by his answer, not quite expecting it. 

“Then why do you spend your nights watching these movies?”

Alec shrugs. “Everyone loves movie night. It’s our bonding time, I guess. Besides, they would rather die than watch a documentary.”

“I’m sure Simon might watch one with you.”

Alec looks horrified. “Simon is the last person on earth I’d watch a documentary with. I’d much rather the red head.” 

Magnus laughs again, realizing that this is yet another side of Alec that he's privy to and he’s sure he’s one of the few. They stay like that, the movie playing in the background as they whisper to each other and Magnus can feel the tug of sleep but he’s too tired to fight it. Just before he succumbs to the darkness though, he hears Alec’s voice in his ear.

“I am a Fast and Furious whore though. You were right. The cars and Paul Walker are sexy as fuck.”

He falls asleep with a smile on his lips.

-

“Are you done with your essay yet?” Alec inquires from his spot on Magnus’ bed as he shoves his Principles of Accounts textbook into his bag.

“No,” Magnus grumbles. “I’ve written all my points and everything but something about it isn’t quite right. It doesn’t flow. God, I hate essays.”

Alec gets up, stretching his arms above his head to get the crick out of his back before he makes his way over to where Magnus is seated in front of his desk. He stands behind him and his eyes scan over what Magnus has written before he nudges him, gesturing for him to move. Magnus vacates the chair and watches as Alec opens another word document, copy and pasting his essay onto that. He changes the color to red and starts making edits to what Magnus has, adding and deleting lines as he goes along. It takes about twenty minutes before Alec moves, telling Magnus to read it over.

“It’s so much better now. Thank you, Alexander,” He places a kiss on Alec’s cheek. Alec bashfully waves off Magnus’ gratitude.

“It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.”

Magnus’ phone pings with a notification and he looks up at Alec. “Would you like to join me for my Skype call tonight?”

Alec stares at him with something akin to wonder, choosing his words carefully.

“Do you want me to? I don’t want to impose on your time with them.”

For once, it’s Magnus who rolls his eyes.

“You won’t be imposing, you idiot. Besides, I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t want you to.”

“Okay, yeah. I’d love to meet your friends.”

Magnus smiles at him and Alec feels like this is a milestone in their relationship but he refrains from saying anything. Instead, he follows Magnus and they make themselves comfortable against the headboard of the bed, Magnus’ laptop situated on Magnus’s lap. Seconds later, the laptop rings, the Skype group call showing up. 

“Why hello, I don’t think we’ve been introduced,” Catarina says in amusement when the call connects and she notices Alec sitting shoulder to shoulder with her best friend. Magnus has updated them off of the scheme he and Alec are a part of but that doesn’t mean she’s not going to tease him.

“You didn’t even let me say anything yet, what do you expect?” Magnus huffs in exasperation before making his introductions, pointing out each of his friends on the screen despite their name being displayed. “Everyone this is Alexander, Alexander this is Catarina whom I love greatly and the other two grumps and Ragnor and Rapheal. I don’t love them as much.” 

“Hi everyone, I’m Alec,” He waves, slightly nervous now that Magnus’ best friends are in front of him. 

“This isn’t Alcoholics Anonymous,” Ragnor quips sarcastically. “And Magnus, stop kissing up. Catarina has a favorite and it’s me.”

Alec laughs as Raphael and Magnus both disagree, feeling the nerves leave his body. He settles himself against Magnus’ shoulder, content to watch him interact with his friends. They make sure to include Alec in their conversations and by the end of the night, Alec has been ordered to be present for their next Skype call. He watches Magnus say goodbye to them and he can’t help but feel as though he’s seen yet another side of Magnus - one reserved for the people closest to him - and he’s honoured. He tells Magnus as much when they hug goodbye and Magnus squeezes him a little tighter in return. 

-

There’s a big game coming up which means Magnus and Jace have practice every single day after school and sometimes on a weekend. It’s exhausting but Coach Garroway insists on them being consistent if they’re going to be ready to perform at their absolute best. This also means that they’re on a rigorous diet.

Alec has heard Jace complain enough times about how tired he is after training and how much he hates having to come home to cook himself something. Izzy and Alec tried to cook him a meal once and he ended up with food poisoning. After that, he goes over to Clary’s with Coach Garroway - who’s also Clary’s step-dad and only legal guardian - for dinner. So Alec, being the good fake boyfriend that he is, has decided to do something nice for Magnus.

He goes home with Izzy after school but he comes back in time for when training is over.

He finds himself a seat on the bleachers where he has a good few of the field - particularly Magnus running around sweaty and shirtless. It’s a good way to pass the time and seeing his abs glistening in the glow of the setting sun is enough of a reward for Alec’s effort. He watches as they all group together to hear what Coach Garroway is saying and then they break apart, Magnus spotting Alec. 

He jogs over to where Alec is seated, his hair falling into his face as he pants, a towel draped across his shoulders.

“Alexander? What on earth are you still doing here? Jace just left with Coach.”

Alec smiles as he stands up with a bowl of food in one hand, a plastic bottle and a travel mug in the other, and makes his way down to Magnus. He hands him the drinks but keeps a hold of the bowl. Magnus looks at him curiously. 

“Jace is always complaining about how tired and hungry he is after practice, which is why he leaves with Coach, so I figured I could bring you some stuff. That’s coconut water in the plastic bottle and there’s milk with a scoop of whey protein in the travel mug. I googled everything so I know what fits in with your diet and the website said that’s for post-training. I also got you salmon, steamed broccoli and potatoes for dinner. And don’t worry, I bought it so it’s completely safe to eat.”

By the time he’s done explaining, Magnus is looking at him reverently, his eyes full of awe. “Thank you, Alexander. You know you didn’t have to do this.” His voice is hoarse when he speaks and Alec shoots him a lopsided grin. 

“I know, I wanted to.”

He walks Magnus home and him bringing Magnus food after training becomes a daily occurrence.

-

Jace and Izzy were out doing God knows what but since it was a Sunday evening, Alec and Magnus had decided to forgo joining them, instead choosing to stay home and actually get some studying done since they had a Calculus exam coming up on First and Second Order Differentials which Alec hated. He didn’t understand why this class was compulsory for him as a Business student but he was grateful that Magnus not only understood it but actually enjoyed it as well. Safe to say, he was a great tutor. 

They’ve only just finished the last activity in the chapter when Maryse walks into the room, surprising them both. Alec thanks his lucky stars that he and Magnus had opted to sit on the floor so at least this way, it doesn’t look like they were doing anything Jace-like.

“Mom? What are you doing home so early?” 

“I decided to close up early today. It was slow anyways. Magnus, would you join us for dinner please?” She asks politely but Magnus doesn’t really feel like it’s an actual choice.

“Uh, sure,” He agrees easily, sharing a look with Alec when Maryse walks away.

“I don’t like this,” Alec confides, his tone wary as he gets up to follow her, Magnus trailing behind him. 

“I’m sure it’s fine,” Magnus’ voice is soothing as he tries to reassure him but it doesn’t work. 

Alec knows his mother. Maryse Trueblood does not randomly make dinner. Dinners only happen for a reason. 

Alec is surprised to see the spread his mother has prepared and it has him halting in his tracks. She’s made grilled chicken breast with avocado, beetroot, spinach and Quinoa salad - all of which is a part of Magnus’ training diet - which proves that she intended to have Magnus stay for dinner. Alec’s palms start to sweat. Does she know? She couldn’t. If she did, she would be angry, not making them dinner. He’s so caught up in his thoughts, he doesn’t realize that his mother and Magnus have already served themselves and are waiting on him.

“Alexander, are you okay?” Magnus’ voice brings him out of his head. He apologizes for zoning out and quickly scoops some food onto his plate.

“So what’s this dinner for?” He blurts out without preamble.

Maryse smiles fondly, as though she’s been caught.

“You’re always so quick to cut to the chase. Can’t I just prepare dinner for once?”

Alec doesn’t verbally respond. He simply stares at her, his confusion increasing as she laughs. 

“Okay, okay. You’ve caught me. I just wanted to have dinner with my son and his boyfriend.”

Her words are soft and sweet, no judgement present but Alec can’t tell that over the ringing in his ears. He feels as though all the oxygen in his lungs has been stolen.

“What? No, he’s not, no, no, no-” He’s stumbling over his words and he knows he’s not making sense but he can’t quite believe this is happening. How does she know? He’s been careful to hide anything incriminating from her. He’s only out at school and he knows she isn’t a part of the parent-teachers association or anything of the sorts. She doesn’t talk to any of the other parents so how could she possibly know?

Maryse speaks and she manages to cut off his rambling as he hones in on her words.

“What? I’m sorry. Lucian said-”

“Lucian? As in Coach Garroway?” Magnus interrupts.

“Uh, yes. He confided in me that the two of you were dating and that the entire school knows about it.”

“W-Why would Coach Garroway say that to you?” Alec questions and it’s even more baffling to see his mother blush.

“This isn’t quite exactly how I wanted to tell you but Lucian and I have been seeing each other for some time now. He mentioned how sweet it is of you to bring Magnus dinner after his training. I assumed you hadn’t said anything to me because you were afraid of how I’d react so I decided to have this dinner to show you that I’m okay with it. I don’t care who you date as long as you’re happy and you’re treated well. You’re my baby boy, Alec. My first born. I know I haven’t been the best mother but I do love you. Unconditionally. It doesn’t matter if you’re gay or not, you’ll always be my son. I love you for who you are - every part of you that makes you, you. And I am so so unbelievably proud of the young man you are.”

Alec’s vision is blurry and it’s only then does he realize he’s crying. Maryse gets up and comes around to hug him, cradling his face as he hides it in her stomach. His arms wrap tightly around her waist and she cards her fingers through his hair. He’s sobbing as she keeps whispering her love and acceptance and from her voice he knows she’s crying too.

He feels Magnus squeeze his leg in comfort and eventually he’s able to calm himself down. He pulls back to look at his mother and she wipes the tears from his face, looking at him with pure unadulterated love. 

“I never thought I’d hear you say that,” He confesses, his voice raw and full of emotion. “I thought you’d hate me. I thought I had to keep it a secret.”

“”Oh my sweet boy, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I made you feel like that. I promise Alec, I’ll do better. I’ll try my very best to be a better mother, okay? I’m sorry,” She whispers stroking his hair as she hugs him again.

“Thank you. For-” He’s overwhelmed with emotions. He’s relieved and happy and slightly scared that none of this is real. He doesn’t know how to put the feeling into words but thankfully his mother gets what he wants to say.

“I know,” She says. “You never have to thank me. Not for this. Not for loving you for who you are.”

Or the first time in his life, Alec truly feels loved and accepted by his mother.

Magnus doesn’t go home that night. Alec is still raw and he feels as though he’s been ripped open and put on display. Magnus stays with him and his mother, a silent but steady source of comfort and support. After Maryse goes to bed, he and Alec lay wrapped in each other’s arms under the night sky.

It’s quiet and peaceful and just what Alec needs.

-

Alec wakes up on the day of Magnus’ big game and curses his luck. He had been feeling off the past few days but he had chalked it up to exhaustion. As he rolls over and is racked with a fit of coughs that leaves his throat on fire, he knows he was an idiot to think so.

He drags himself into the shower, hoping that the hot water will warm up his bones and alleviate the ache in them. It doesn’t so he dons a thick sweater and zips up his leather jacket over it, pairing it with some NIKE jogger. He walks to school with Izzy in silence, thankful that she doesn’t insist on him staying home. 

Jace had left early because the team had one last early morning practice which meant that he wouldn’t see Magnus for the day since they didn’t have Calculus -the only class he shared with Magnus - or a study period today. Alec counts it as a blessing because he doesn’t want Magnus to know he’s sick.

He manages to make it through the day without falling over but his nose has started running and he’s sneezing now. He’s pretty sure he has a fever but he’s made it this far so he’s determined to make it through the game. It was a big one and he promised Magnus he’d be there, cheering him on - so he would. 

He spends the majority of the game coughing and sneezing and leaning on his sister’s shoulder but it’s worth it when Magnus scores the winning shot and turns to blow him a kiss. The crowd goes crazy, as expected, and it rattles Alec’s skull until he’s sure he’s going to die so he allows Izzy to usher him off the field and take him home before Magnus can even leave the locker room. She gets some Panadol Multi-symptom into him and he promptly passes out on his bed. 

Magnus knows he saw Alec in the crowd during the game but he can’t find him after. He changes into his outfit for the after-party and texts Alec that he’ll meet him there. He spends the first half hour being doted on by his teammates before he can break free from them to go find Alec, the one person who he actually wants to see. It’s a little strange how close they’ve grown in a short period of time but Alec might just be his best friend now. Yes, he still has Cat, Ragnor and Raphael, but everyday Alec feels more and more like his  _ person _ . 

He can’t find Alec anywhere and he hasn’t responded to Magnus’ texts nor his phone calls. Eventually, he finds Izzy and Simon playing beer pong against Jace and Clary. Izzy is winning and Clary is looking a bit tipsy but Simon is definitely going to lose against Jace so Magnus kind of wants to see how this ends but he’s got other things on his mind.

“Pardon the interruption,” He begins but then he’s engulfed by both Clary and Izzy, the girls excitedly congratulating him on winning.

“Thank you darlings but I was wondering if anyone of you knew where I might find Alexander?”

Izzy frowns. “He was pretty sick so I took him home after the game.”

“Sick?” Magnus repeats, his eyebrows furrowing in concern.

“Yeah, he’s come down with a nasty cold. I gave him some medication so he’s probably going to be out cold for the rest of the night.”

“Thanks for letting me know. You guys have fun.”

Magnus doesn’t think twice about leaving the party. He stops at a chinese restaurant and orders a container of soup before going over to Alec’s house. The door is locked but luckily he knows where to find the spare key so he lets himself in, finding the house empty.

He locates Alec in his room, fast asleep on top of his duvet, still wearing the clothes Magnus last saw him in. He rests the container of soup on the table and moves to take off Alec’s shoes then sits next to him, brushing away the hair from his overheated forehead. 

“Alexander, sweetheart, wake up,” He coos, shaking him a little until Alec opens his eyes, looking at Magnus blearily.

“M’gnus?” He mumbles out in confusion.

“Hi, pretty boy. I heard you were sick.”

Alec’s lips lift slightly at the endearment and his eyes flutter closed. “I’m not sick. ‘m fine.”

Magnus studies him. His hair is even more of a mess than usual - which is saying something - and his eyes are red and weak. His skin is pale but his cheeks are blotchy, tinted pink thanks to his fever. His lips are chapped and his nose is an angry red. 

“I brought you wonton soup, since that’s the only kind you’ll eat,” Magnus announces, ignoring Alec’s denial.

Alec coughs, then sniffles thickly before he speaks. 

“What time is it? Shouldn’t you be at the party?” His voice is croaky and Magnus smiled endearingly at him.

“I heard you were sick and left.”

“What? No. Magnus, I’m fine. You should go have fun, you deserve it. Congrats on the game by the way.”

“Okay first of all, you most definitely are not fine-”

“I am! I-” Alec cuts himself off with three sneezes and Magnus raises an eyebrow at him.

“You just proved yourself wrong but as I was saying, I’d rather be here with you.”

“You would rather miss a party where you’re the most important person to hang out with me while I’m a contagious mess that’s probably going to spend the night sleeping?” Alec asks dubiously, his tone of voice suggesting Magnus is being ridiculous. 

“Yes. Glad we’re on the same page. Now hush and eat something because I’m sure you haven’t had anything since at least lunch.”

Magnus grabs the soup from where he left it, passing it to Alec who’s now leaning against the headboard. Magnus sits next to him, allowing him to rest his head on his shoulder as he eats. Alec manages to get through half the container before he decides he’s done, which Magnus counts as a victory. 

When he’s done, he goes to shower, changing into some sweatpants and a long sleeved t-shirt. By the time he comes back to his room, Magnus has changed out of his party clothes and is now wearing one of Alec’s joggers with a t-shirt. Alec decides he loves seeing Magnus in his clothes. Magnus has Netflix pulled up on the television, Fast Five (Alec’s favorite one) waiting to be played. He looks up from where he’s propped against the pillows on Alec’s bed when he hears him come in.

“Come here,” Magnus demands, stretching out his hand and Alec complies, letting Magnus pull him down onto the bed. He situates them so their feet are tangled together, Alec’s head resting on Magnus’ chest as Magnus plays with his hair the way he likes.

“I’m going to fall asleep,” Alec says, eyes already closed before Magnus can start the movie.

“I know,” Magnus kisses his head, leaving his lips pressed against Alec’s hair. “Sweet dreams.”

As Alec dozes off, he can’t help but wonder if he’s really alone in his feelings or if maybe - just maybe - Magnus might feel something for him too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest thing I've ever written and I love it and these boys. Also I'm such a sucker for sickfics and bonding during those scenes. Hope y'all enjoyed it because you're going to hate the next chapter ;)


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